Kael's vision blurred suddenly, but it wasn't from the tears, this was something else.
A big screen suddenly flickered in front of him; it's contents clear.
[ SSS RANK SYSTEM INTERFACE: SOULBOUND CORE ]
Host: Kael
State: Initial Awakening
Bonded Beast: Ashfox (Name TBD)
Soul Level: 1
Experience (XP): 0 / 100
System Status: Stable
1. Main Menu
[Status Panel]
→ View Kael's physical stats, soul stats, and growth.
→ Includes conditions, injuries, fatigue, etc.
[Beast Companion]
→ Shows bonded beast(s), their stats, evolution paths, mood, skills, and bond level.
→ "Soul Link" percentage reflects synchronization with beast.
[Skills & Abilities]
→ All active/passive/system-related skills.
→ Displays level, cooldown, and upgrade paths.
→ Locked skill trees visible here.
[Inventory]
→ Soulbound items, beast essence cores, relics, etc.
→ Limited space, expandable with levels or relics.
[Missions / Trials]
→ Auto-generated quests based on events, threats, goals.
→ Side missions for growth and bonding with beasts.
[System Logs]
→ Records all events, level-ups, battles, bond milestones.
→ Includes "System Voice Logs" or soul echoes.
[???] Hidden Tabs
→ Locked until Kael reaches certain thresholds.
→ Could include [World Map], [Soul Archive], or [Forbidden Contracts].
Sample Status Panel (early stage):
Kael [Human - Soul Initiate]
HP: 120 / 120
SP (Soul Power): 30 / 30
STR: 8 | AGI: 10 | INT: 12 | VIT: 9 | WIS: 14 | LCK: 3
Soul Depth: Shallow (Tier 0)
Contracted Beast: Ashfox (Lesser Class) [can be evolved.]
Bond Sync: 7%
Low compatibility. Sync improves with trust, time, and shared combat.
---
Starting System Skill: Soul Bond
Type: Core Passive
Effect: Allows formation of contracts with beasts.
Features: Communication, growth synergy, shared senses.
Next Evolution: ???
Cost: None
Kael swung his hand as the information was too much, not understanding any of it. The interface in front of him closed, shutting off.
Kael's eyes slowly rested on the Fox who was licking his face again. He gently pushed it aside.
He wasn't the smartest person on earth, but he could understand one thing.
For some reason, he had bonded with the Fox, and it had something to do with weird thing that called itself the SSS Rank System.
Well, it had saved his life.
Kael stood up from the floor, the sun was starting to poke it's head as the thick clouds dispersed now.
The Fox followed him, bouncing behind him. Kael was a bit uncomfortable, this Fox was far bigger than he was.
Mara's body lay still beside him. Her pendant was now dangling from his own neck, heavy against his chest.
He couldn't leave her here, not like this. She deserved more than a ditch in Thornskull's filth.
He staggered to his feet, his legs felt a bit wobbly from exhaustion, and bent to grab her arms.
"Come on, Mara,"
He whispered, voice cracking. His hands slipped on her blood-slick skin, and he heaved, straining to lift her.
She barely budged—too heavy, too limp, too gone.
Dead.
His scrawny arms quivered, and a sob clawed up his throat.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
He pulled harder, his boots sliding in the mud, but she wouldn't move.
He was too weak—always too weak.
The ashfox tilted its head, watching him struggle, then stepped forward with a low whine. Kael froze as it opened its jaws, teeth glinting—sharp, stained from the wild.
"No!" he shouted, lunging to shove it back, heart slamming. "Don't—you can't eat her!"
His voice broke, fists pounding its flank, but the fox didn't snap. It turned, meeting his wild eyes with a gaze that wasn't hunger—it was soft, almost sad, like it understood.
Before Kael could react, the ashfox dipped its head, gently clamping its teeth around Mara's cloak. With a careful tug, it lifted her, swinging her broken body onto its broad back.
Kael stumbled back, his breath hitched as his hands trembled at his sides.
"What…?"
The fox's ears flicked, and it looked at him, waiting, steady, like it knew. He stood there, moping, tears streaming through the dirt on his face, he was too stunned to move.
Then the fox growled softly, nudging closer. Its jaws parted again, and Kael flinched, but it didn't bite.
It scooped him up by the scruff of his tunic, like a pup, and with a flick of its head, tossed him onto its back beside Mara.
He landed hard, sprawled across the fox's warm fur, her cold arm brushing his.
He choked on a sob, clinging to the fox's mane. "Take us…" Kael rasped, voice barely a whisper. "The cemetery. Please."
The fox didn't hesitate to move. It didn't know where the cemetery was, or what the cemetery was, but it was sure it wasn't here.
It turned, padding through Thornskull's muddy streets, its steps sure despite the load. No one stopped them—windows stayed shut, alleys empty.
The orphans were invisible, always had been.
Kael's hands gripped the fox's fur, Mara's pendant swaying with each jolt, and he let the tears fall freely now, hot against the morning chill.
He directed the fox to the cemetery.
The public cemetery loomed at the village's edge—a tangle of crooked stones and overgrown weeds, a dumping ground for the poor. No mourners, no priests, just silence and the stink of rot.
He couldn't believe he was burying Mara.
The ashfox stopped at an open patch, lowering itself so Kael could slide off.
He hit the ground on shaky legs, then reached for Mara, pulling her down with a grunt.
Her head lolled against his shoulder, and he nearly buckled, but the fox nudged him upright, its snout pressing into his side. Kael dug with his hands—no shovel, no help—just raw fingers clawing at the earth.
It was going to take him forever.
The fox joined in, paws scraping beside him, flinging dirt in steady arcs.
Mud painted his nails, stung his cuts, but he didn't stop.
"You deserved better,"
he muttered, voice thick. "A real home… not this."
The hole deepened, shallow but enough, and he gently lowered Mara in, her torn cloak pooling around her like broken wings.
They could as well have been wings, she must have been an angel, his personal, guardian angel.
He pressed the pendant into her hands—then stopped, shaking his head.
He slipped it back around his neck, trembling. He piled the dirt back, each handful heavier than the last, until she was gone—buried, hidden from the world that never cared.
The ashfox sat beside him, tail curled, watching as Kael knelt there, staring at the mound.
"She was all I had," he whispered, to the fox, to the air. "Now it's just me."
The Fox let us a small sigh, as if to say, "And me."
The sun climbed higher, casting long shadows over the grave. Kael's chest ached, hollow and full at once, but the fox pressed closer, its warmth seeping into his side.
He didn't know what this SSS Rank System was, or why it chose him—but it had given him this.
A friend.
A start.
He stood, wiping his face with a muddy sleeve, and glanced at the fox. "Let's go," he said, voice steadying. "Anywhere but here."
The fox rose too, bouncing a step ahead, and Kael followed, one foot in front of the other, away from the grave, away from Thornskull's rot.